The multiple networks of organizations that govern metropolitan infrastructure make investment decisions of great consequence, as infrastructure underlies all activities that occur in urban regions. However, the inability of governance institutions to manage urban growth and change has contributed to (or failed to resolve) numerous problems with harmful consequences: traffic congestion, pollution, global warming, increased vulnerability to terrorism and hazards, public health, and lower economic productivity. The sources of many of these inadequacies are in the infrastructure institutions themselves. This research seeks to gain knowledge about which factors are critical to effectively manage metropolitan governance institutions, focusing on measures of their performance. We will identify the underlying institutional factors that dictate effective decision-making and desired infrastructure performance. The overall objective for this research project is to develop an Institutional Multi-factor Performance Assessment CriTeria (IMPACT) Model that can be used in future research on Multi-Scalar Large Institutional Networks (MSLIN) of governance to assess the relative extent to which variants of common institutional reform strategies (restructuring, coordination, privatization, and decentralization) have been more effective means for metro governance institutions to plan and deliver infrastructure services.
An international, interdisciplinary research team representing nine disciplines from seven nations will develop a testable model to assess institutional performance of large institutional networks that span many geographic scales. Our long-term research goal is to understand the effects of institutional design on institutional performance. Understanding this contributes to institutional theory, the design of government and other institutions, and the effectiveness of the management of metropolitan governance. By using our model, other researchers will be able to identify and assess common and unique factors of both failure and success in order to measure the performance effectiveness of governance institutions in a range of institutional and sociopolitical settings. A broader impact is that lawmakers and other policy analysts and decision makers will be better able to develop strategies to improve infrastructure provision, making cities and their citizens' lives safer, more productive, and environmentally healthier, while saving billions of dollars. Our findings will inform controversies around privatization and decentralization, and deepen understanding of the network society.
